AUTHOR'S NOTE
She Lived Next Door is quite different from other stories that I have written, and hence it holds special meaning to me. The story is mostly told from the eyes of a 13 year old. At that age, our vision is restricted to the things we wish to see, our thoughts are confined to what we want to think. We do not ask questions we need to ask. We do not see the larger picture. This is the story of the first infatuation of such a young boy.
Readers may find the tone of the story a bit experimental, and there may be a few unanswered questions at the end, but that is intentional. Personally speaking, I still have a lot of unanswered questions about my life as a young teenager, and I never hope to find answers for that. Only hazy memories remain.
Marlena is a character that comes in every young man's life. She comes in different ways, and she is never meant to stay (at least not physically). We don't react to her in the same ways either. However, the short period that every young boy spends with his Marlena is what shapes his future relationships, and his life in general. Our assorted Marlenas have transformed us from boys to men.
Some readers may also question the ethics of the story in itself, but if that happens, I would consider my endeavor at writing this piece of fact-inspired fiction to be a success. The comment box below is your space to express your feelings. Criticism is welcome.
The story is serialized. It will be posted in six parts, the first of which is posted today. I will be posting one part of the story each day. You might want to visit my website and subscribe to get updated when I make future posts on the story.
Thanks for your time!
And now, welcome to Marlena's world.
